Monday, April 24, 2017

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, today I really want to talk about one of my absolute favorite game series. Saints Row started out as an unique GTA clone to quickly become it's own thing. Ever since Saints Row The Third, the series took a very different direction to help differ it from GTA series. Although the actual experience playing both series is surprisingly different in many ways. I been wanting to cover these games personally for a while.

I would do these in order of release but I felt I should start with the worst to the best. For the record whatever game gets the bottom of the barrel is still a good game in it's own right. But comparing it to other games of the series you felt a lot could've been done to improve it.

5. Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (2015)
Unlike most Saints Row games, you only can play as Johnny or Kinzie. Most customization in earlier entries is missing. The actual campaign is short of being roughly six to seven hours at most. They made it really easy to get an 100% completion. The way they told the story could've been a little better. Don't even get me started about those endings. I am surprise but I didn't care for any of them at all. I do like exploring Hell to conqueror it all in time. I also like some historical figures becomes your allies in the game. I felt Hell was surprisingly smaller than the main city of Saints Row IV. This game only has one dlc that doesn't bring much to the experience. I really wanted to love this game more than I currently do right now. Johnny is my favorite character of the entire series. Not even him could do much to save this game.

4. Saints Row IV (2013)
Possibly one of the most ridiculous games I ever played since Conker's Bad Fur Day on N64. Saints Row IV took what I loved about Saints Row The Third & added some great stuff to the mix. The actual story is kinda of a mess but maybe they were really going for B movie inspired story. Plenty of funny moments through out the campaign. You get some great missions that you really want to keep coming back for more. Some of my favorite weapons are present in this game. Yes the main map is slightly smaller than the previous game. I still have so much fun exploring & causing mayhem everywhere I go. Just like Saints Row The Third, they released so many dlcs. Although most of them are okay, there were some I really enjoy. I also like at some points in the campaign the game play does differ for some missions. Yes many didn't like in some missions you can't use your powers. The game itself does state why you can't. I do enjoy using your powers similar to Prototype & Infamous series. But by having them it makes using most vehicles pointless. This fact alone is usually why it doesn't score high among reviewers. Saints Row IV is still a master piece of a game to me. You really can't recreate something like this out there by accident. This is possibly the greatest alien thing I got into since Men in Black movies. I really like how you face some of your past enemies in the campaign. This helps bring back memories of the older games as you play this was a nice touch. I really enjoy playing Saints Row IV with a passion. Just like Saints Row: Gat out of Hell, it is very easy to get an 100% completion. They really went the extra mile trying to get you to laugh hard. For that reason alone this should be on many people's radars.

3. Saints Row (2006)
Obviously the original Saints Row had to be high on this list. Even to this day it still exclusive to Xbox 360. Saints Row brought several things to help it stand out from GTA series. Customizing was mind blowing for it's time. Sadly you can only be male in this game which may turn some people off. Some of the absolute best missions of the entire series are in this game. Some activities in this game are still present in most of the series. Each gang you take on has it's own story campaign portion. Of course you want to take Stilwater from them. One of the best soundtracks both in missions & on radio to date. This game may be difficult to find due to being a console exclusive. This does come off like an improved Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas experience. Saints Row leaves a strong impression on me as you play. This was the game Johnny originally debuts to give you some crazy missions. Unfortunately this is the only main Saints Row game to not have dlcs. Saints Row does have a lot of depth within the world itself. Unlike later games, you have to complete all activities to get upgraded.

2. Saints Row 2 (2008)
Often stated to be the best Saints Row game. Saints Row 2 is easily one of the best video game sequels. They improved in several areas from the previous game. You can now play as a female to help bring in more gamers. This has some of the best exclusive activities of the series. Saints Row 2 also has an amazing soundtrack. Some of the best missions within the series are present. Customization is greatly given more depth. One of my favorite maps of the entire series. Some characters like Shaundi & Pierce are introduced. Just like the original Saints Row, each gang has their own portion of the campaign. This was the last game you had to get enough respect to do missions. This was later changed to more of a leveling system in Saints Row The Third. Saints Row 2 does so much to blow you away since there are several versions of it. Unfortunately only console versions has story dlcs. Unless someone can successfully recreate them for PC gamers. This greatly reduces the chance of playing it. They really out did themselves with such an amazing game. I am hoping Saints Row 2 gets added to become playable on Xbox One soon.

1. Saints Row The Third (2011)
My personal favorite where it stands right now has to be Saints Row The Third. As stated respect got transformed into a leveling system where you choose what to upgrade. This feature added so much more depth. Oh wait I'm not even close of finishing yet folks. This game has some of the finest dlcs of the stories. Some of my favorite missions like http://deckers.die are such an unique experience. Classic activities are given great updates making them more fun to play. Some newer activities do return in later games. Easily one of the best stories of the series. Unlike the first two games, all your enemies connected to each other during the campaign. This concept got reused in Saints Row IV & Gat out of Hell. I really enjoy fully upgrading your weaponry. Yes some weapons does become op but sometimes it makes things more fun so who really cares. Saints Row The Third has the best map of the entire series. I do enjoy all the multiple choices except if Unlockable Pack is enabled because it ruins the entire experience. Some of your best homies are present in this game. Customization is even higher in this game than ever before. They really went out of their way to make this very rememberable as possible. I know some fans won't like me choosing this as the best Saints Row game. Possibly more won't like me stating it is way more fun than Grand Theft Auto IV in it's entirely. Saints Row The Third is where the series became more comical but I like that. Grand Theft Auto series does take itself way too seriously. We do need something similar that can be funny to help lighten your emotions. Also some of the absolute best costumes, weapons & vehicles are present in this game. I really can't say enough about how damn good this game actually is. Not even if I got many fans to send me clips of their support of the game then send it to the team behind this series. This is very likely a timeless classic that's already difficult to recreate for it's own uniqueness. It is very difficult to fully explain. I recommend checking it out for yourselves to see what's so great about it.

PS. Do Not Enable Bloodsucker & Unlockable Packs. Both of them really ruin the entire experience. Thankfully after installing DLC Blocker patch. You don't have to worry about that although you can go into your files to change it at any given time. Honestly why would someone do that unless they never experience those dlcs. I highly recommend not using them at all to have some real fun instead. Of course modding is another great option to avoid those. Anything is better than simply wasting your time especially if it is your first time playing not fully knowing every dlc included. You don't want to feel like you wasted your time & money because of those particular dlcs.

Hello everyone I'm Jack Red, a follow up blog to my recent Saints Row The Third blog entry. Basically doing the same concept with Saints Row IV. This was even tougher because most of them were okay. Not many of them stand out on their own. Some do stand out in a good way while others you kinda wish didn't get released in the first place. Once again this is purely my opinion please respect what I got to say.

Majority of dlcs present in Saints Row IV aren't as close as good as the previous game. Thus I had a harder time determining which dlcs I really like & don't like for this blog entry.

Top 5 Saints Row IV DLCs
5. Enter the Dominatrix
This wasn't bad for a big dlc within Saints Row IV. Yes it wasn't anything special but they sure left an impression on me. Some of the cut scenes of these missions although play out like making of movies. Actually explains real facts about how the development of this dlc went down. You get three crazy missions you can replay at any time. This does add slightly more than some dlc packs. I love the humor in it's cut scenes. I felt they did just enough to sell me on this dlc.

4. Anime Pack/Stone Age Pack
Honestly out of all small dlcs within Saints Row IV. I kept coming back to both Anime Pack & Stone Age Pack. Considering how awesome both of them are. I decided to include them in the same spot. You get great costumes, weapons & a vehicle. All of this alone are worth playing Saints Row IV multiple times. I love driving around the Flintstones car. Seriously both of these are worth picking up.

3. Element of Destruction Pack
Obviously playing with powers can be a lot of fun. Now they added in each category of your powers a new option to spice things up. You guess it making all of those powers explosive. Very quickly becomes addicting to use any of these powers enabling your new option for fun. This also helps in some challenging missions especially later in the campaign.

2. Commander-in-Chief Pack
This is so patriotic that both Captain America & Stan Smith from American Dad approves it. You get a new costume with a crazy weapon & awesome looking jet. All of this alone was surprisingly well put together. This screams being an American in a rather unusual way. Yes I know this dlc would upset many people in the world simply because what it stands for. I am just saying I love it for being in such a great game.

1. How The Saints Saved Christmas
This should've been very obvious folks. Hands down the best Saints Row IV has to offer. I am really impressed by all the content present. You get some great dlc missions that are replayable at any given time. Unlike Enter the Dominatrix, this brings a lot of great content into the actual game. You get new weapon skins, homies, vehicles, activities and enemies. The way the story gets told was priceless. This particular dlc very easily could've been it's own game. This is in all honestly one of the greatest dlcs I ever got in any video game. I also love the title is referencing How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Top 5 Worst Saints Row IV DLCs
5. Bradygames Pack
Everyone knows about Bradygames for making video game strategy books. I grew up with so many of them as a kid. Then I found out about this dlc at first was kindly happy about it. I looked into it during the game to only be slap in the face. This adds a machine gun that isn't great. This dlc is pointless due to most in game machine guns & rifles are way better.

4. GATV Pack
They thought it was funny to make a sorta parody of GTAV inspired dlc. They made sure to release it before the actual release of GTAV. Sadly most new stuff contain inside isn't anything special. Yeah I like to dress up as Johnny but you can't customize it. Why would you include a dlc outfit you can't customize or switch out for creativity purposes is beyond me. Also the new weapon is okay compared to several dlc weapons.

3. Gamestop Weapon Contest
One of the biggest game stores in the entire world. You would think Gamestop would have a better dlc line up for you right? Nope you get a new weapon that's sorta like the anti-gravity gun from Half-Life series. But it can be confusing to use as well as often having to wait to fire it again. This weapon doesn't even scream Gamestop in the slightest. I honestly could do without this weapon.

2. The Super Saints Pack/Volition Comics Pack
Another tie on my Saints Row lists. Look I have nothing about comic book characters. I felt all of these are clearly ripping off several comic book characters in mostly design. If they given us a larger amount of random super hero outfit pieces to choose from. Then I would've been a bit happier about it. Look I get it, you get powers within the game it would make sense to some people to look like a super hero. End of the day this was simply the wrong call. I would rather look like something disturbing or laughable than an actual super hero.

1. Executive Privilege Pack
This shouldn't be a surprise as my choice for the single worst Saints Row IV dlc. It is virtually the same as Saints Row The Third's Invincible Pack. Yes the same seven new codes from that game gets added again the same way. Look it didn't work for many reasons last time. Why would this time suddenly be different? I would've accepted these as already been presented in the game or added in a future update. The idea you have to buy for the same seven codes once again is simply a rip off. Just like I said before using these will ruin the entire experience of playing it. Honestly you should ignore or pretend these aren't added to your copy of the game then you should be fine. You know what I'm not fine because they might end up doing it again in another future Saints Row game. So how about this instead do what Fallout 4 did for consoles instead? Yes I am actually talking about bringing mods to those consoles. Now I really would welcome this change instead of buying these codes any day. Bottom line don't use our money by doing this again guys.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, today I felt since I am a huge fan of Saints Row series. It was time to do another Saints Row blog. I really wanted to talk about the best & worst among every dlcs you can get for Saints Row The Third. Easily one of the greatest open world games ever made. This was surprisingly difficult with some choices being obvious among both lists. Remember this purely is my opinion. If you don't like my list at least respect it & move on instead of crying like babies over it.

Top 5 Saints Row The Third DLCs
5. Gangstas in Space
Despite the title, these missions are not directly related to the canon ending. You have to take on soldiers & aliens within this crazy movie. I guess the crazy director really made it obvious didn't he lol. This dlc adds some nice stuff to the game. Some of the best dlc missions in the series. I do recommend people checking this out.

4. Shark Attack Pack
Who ever came up with this must be on some serious drugs. You get a new clothes piece & weapon. When firing this weapon at people you see them moving around in panic. Then you see a great white shark come out of no where to eat them whole. Strangely one of the best weapons you get in the entire game.

3. Horror Pack
People that know me would tell you this had to be one of my favorite dlcs. They wouldn't be too far off on that. I love Halloween as well as horror movies so when I found out about this. I was mind blown to see such an awesome costumes added. They really put a lot of attention into details with them. I am very impressed how damn good this dlc actually is.

2. Genkibowl VII
Easily one of the greatest dlcs within all of Saints Row series. Genkibowl VII adds so much to the game. We're talking from adding vehicles to costumes to activities. All of this are some of the finest among the crazy stuff within Saints Row. It is so good I honestly can't criticize it in any possible way. I highly recommend playing this on coop with your family or friends.

1. The Trouble With Clones
You had to knew this was coming. The Trouble With Clones is hands down the best Saints Row The Third dlc. Not only you get three new missions added. You also get two new very tough homies to ride with you. If that's not enough all of it as a whole will remind you of several things. This is very good even by itself. Also the last mission briefly gives you powers that really spice up the game play.

Top 5 Worst Saints Row The Third DLCs
5. Special Ops Vehicle Pack
Isn't this obvious enough just going by the picture above? You get three vehicles you do unlock later in the campaign with Saints design. Despite that they're virtually the same exact vehicles. This was a horrible idea guys. Now if it gave us some actual real vehicles with Saints designs & a few small things. Then I would be fine but no this is all you get in the pack. To clarify I woud've done a boat, armored motorcylce & helicopter with ridiculous amount of weaponry. You can clearly tell why this had to be on the list.

4. Steelport Gangs Pack
We went from one slap to the face to go right into another. There was a lot of packs containing clothes added to the game. But why in god's name would you want to dress up as your rival gangs? What's worse is fully dress up as any of them completely. Your own gang will try to kill you. Now that's a great reason to not put any of these on.

3. Bloodsucker Pack
Now we got to a particular dlc so hated. In Steam's version of Saints Row The Third The Full Package. Bloodsucker Pack got removed from all dlcs contained inside. You automatically get a new ability that mostly works on holding up people. You can drink them to fully heal up instantly. This means later on in some tough missions filled with enemies. A perfect example would be Three Way where you are constantly being attacked from all sides. Sometimes you get low on health usually you have to quick find cover. But Bloodsucker Pack allowing you to instantly health on most enemies ruins the challenge altogether. This dlc alone takes most of the difficulty away simply by using it. No wonder why the fans were piss about it. Did I mention this dlc also helps jump start you in money. They ended up giving you a little too much money for starting the campaign after the first few missions. All of that does ruin most of what I love so much about this game. No pun intended this dlc sucks.

2. Invincible Pack
Ever since the original Saints Row if you use cheat codes. You won't be able to autosave & locks achievements. Thus preventing you to get them although this was done to test your ability as a gamer. I quickly accepted that but they decided to release Invincible Pack. Which adds seven new codes to the game. These codes easily ruin the entire experience. To sum it up Bloodsucker Pack does remove most of the challenge yet you still could die. Sadly enabling all of these cheats makes you a god. I am not kidding you can't lose anymore within the game. Easily guaranteeing an 100% completion. This is a major slap to the face possibly a few strong kicks to the balls.

1. Unlockable Pack
Oh wait there exists a dlc worse than Invincible Pack. Just like Bloodsucker Pack, Unlockable Pack also got removed from Steam's version of Saints Row The Third The Full Package. This allows you to get most later in game unlockables as soon as possible. Not only that remember those multiple choices at the end of several missions? Yeah this dlc makes all of those entirely pointless. Why because you already get everything regardless which option you choose. Originally you have to pick one or the other. Whatever you picked in most of them will be yours that's it right? They thought screw them let's give them everything. I am sorry but this does ruin a great amount of the experience. It took away some of the best surprises. Another annoying thing is shortly enabling this dlc pack. The game forces you to use STAG Takeover. Thus you now have access to a extra one of these now. Just enabling one automatically takes over a hood of your choice. I think you can see why this was such a major issue with fans. This particular dlc with Bloodsucker Pack removed not only the challenge. It also removed any real fun out of the entire experience. Now that to me is simply inexcusable. Bottom line please don't ever do this dlc in any form in future Saints Row games or they could be riots at your door step. I am only warning you the developers about how upsetting it actually is to us your fans.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, every since the good old days of SNES vs. Sega Genesis. The very concept of Console Wars is still going strong even long after some of the finest already ended. People are constantly siding with or against each other. So many people are just palm bias & simply won't listen to anything even if their own points are ridiculous to believe. I am more of someone whose willing to give most versions of a said game a try before fully judging.

So many people really play on games the other consoles doesn't have like it's the greatest thing in the world. In truth the only real way to going about deciding which console is better will sound crazy. Yes this method will require having an open mind, a lot of money & patience. Carefully research every game shared on a particular Console Wars topic. Simply doing this will easily test all three no matter which method of getting these games you take.

For example you could just focus on the best two consoles to help make doing this a lot easier. I know some are actually crazy enough to do all main consoles as often as they possibly can. More recently it has been a three way battle with Nintendo being the only one remaining. Regardless how many consoles you decide to bring into this. Remember to truly do this the real way just cover all games shared.

I know I keep saying that but considering there is a lot of games on many consoles. It should be decided which console has the most best versions overall. Although so many gamers simply don't want to put in the effort. They either say random stuff claiming to be fans or simply come right out being bias. Remember such a project should not be done alone. You should get some of your friends involve but any that won't have a open mind should be excluded.

Why am I bashing those people for being bias you ask? They act like their console is the best in the entire world. They're so over bias towards the competition that they won't listen to anything. Not even true facts wrong with their respective versions of that console's games. Why they blindly believe even with it's flaws that their consoles is beyond all it's competition. Let me say this just once there is no such thing as a perfect console.

I always felt PlayStation 1 vs. N64 is perfect for this concept in mind. We have to compare a CD based console to the last major cartridge based console. Of course there will be many important differences. The second best thing to start is PS2 against any of it's top competitors including Sega Dreamcast. Both seventh & eighth console generations are too similar sharing a large amount of games. The first two console generations simply way too much work in the long run. There's a lot of the same games in larger amounts compared to most consoles today. I felt this should help deciding where you should begin.

I already know majority of gamers is heavily interested in SNES vs. Sega Genesis debate. I would say only tackle this particular console wars if you really are strong will & full of determination. Trust me this is a lot of work ahead of you that could take a few years at best to finish. Let's be honest doing handheld versions is actually easier in a way. You could spend a lot less on getting the games you need & own it faster.

Despite some handheld generations having so many of them. Once again I recommend just do the best two handhelds to save yourself time & money. More recently it has been heated to a degree between the same two companies for several years now. I do recommend you could start there if you wanted to. I highly suggest don't rush anything at all especially working with a group of people.

I am aware not many people will agree with me. Honestly that's fine but I know many of you. Deep down truly want to know not going by sells, which console is better. This will take it's toll on you if not given yourself a break. I know work like this will be intense in the long run. No body ever said this was going to be easy. Anyone that does say it are liars.

Gaming in general should us the gamers need to respect each other. It is just sad so many are so bias towards each other. Yes this even affected relationships & families. It is depressing to think many gamers loss sight of themselves. Obviously many things will change during the years. At the same time I wish people would be more open mind about people's feelings. I hope any of what I said in this helps anybody out there.

One more thing some games shared on some consoles are more expanse for many reasons. I highly recommend get the money you need then wait for the right moment on good websites to get it. You also have to be fast while keeping a close eye on the said game you want. There sadly isn't a easy way of doing this. Unless you have one of those YouTube shows where many people sent you games. I wish anyone crazy enough to attempt my method to see how things would play out.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, it took me several months to fully live stream playing through all seven Dead Rising games. All of them were recorded directly off my Xbox One. I figured it is time to help get people caught up on one of my biggest gaming dreams.

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, I been a big Stephen King fan for many years now. I felt like now is the time to do possibly one of the most challenging Top 10 lists I ever done. Over the years since Carrie back in 1974, Stephen King constantly writing more books. There are so many creatures to be considered. Of course we need some guide lines to help even things out.

The rules for this particular Top 10 as they follow down below and no they don't float...

1. They must attack most living creatures or do something horrible to them to be considered

2. Originality goes a long way on this list

3. Obviously must be created by King himself

4. They must first appeared in his books

5. No guardians of the tower allowed

6. Major villains of a particular story or several of them are considered

10. The Dead (Pet Sematary)

It is true Stephen King wrote a lot of stories about the dead. I felt Pet Sematary just made that much more terrifying. Just imagine you just loss someone to suddenly get told about a story to bring them back. Parts of it are true except something evil returns in their place. This followed by evil spirits makes things much worse to survive. You would be lucky to survive the night.

9. Cujo (Cujo)

Once a good dog until a bat bite him on his nose. In turn gave Cujo rabies to start attacking people. It is a real life common fear for some people to get attack by dogs. Cujo becomes vicious over time to not let up on anyone. This dog gets covered in human blood for crying out loud. Now that by itself maybe too much for some people to take.

8. Kurt Barlow (Salem's Lot)
A head vampire that comes to the United States to fest on humans. Barlow made some connections to keep him safe from harm & his criminals a mystery. This vampire isn't afraid to go after anyone whose a threat to his existence. This vampire has a huge body count anywhere he goes. Basically day or night no one is safe from this vampire.

7. Carrie (Carrie)
Carrie was a nice girl until among getting crowned gets pig blood spilled all over her. Not fully realizing that Carrie has telekinesis. This moment went from being one of her best quickly to one of her worst. Carrie loss it killing everyone that's inside the building right after each other. Such a nice person turned into a killing machine is very terrifying. Plus it doesn't help her mother is strictly religious & unforgiving.

6. Jack Torrance (The Shining)
Jack Torrance has a family with a rough history. He use to be a big drinker back in the day. Which led to him getting fired from his school job. More recently he wants a new beginning. Sadly ended up at the Overlook hotel which has a colorful history of horrible things. Eventually Jack loss it to go after his own family. I think the reason why he is so scary for some people. In all honestly has to be many of them could relate to Jack's pain. He really wants to change things around from his days of drinking. In the end he ends up sacrificing himself to save his family.

5. Annie Wilkes (Misery)
An obsessive psycho fan that constantly wants more of a particular author's story series. This lady makes sure to keep this guy in her house. In one part of the story or movie she uses a sledge hammer on his legs. Anyone that attempts to save him usually ends up dead. This bitch is willing to kill him if her desperation isn't fed.

4. George Stark (The Dark Half)
An author's dark side that literately took on a new life within the real world. It was later revealed George got reborn inside that author's dead twin brother's body. Stark wants to live again by forcing the author into doing it. Of course fully knowing as soon as he becomes alive again he will be dead too. Stark is so amazing ugly in terms of his personality that calling it sickening isn't good enough. This guy doesn't care who or what he hurts.

3. The Crimson King (The Dark Tower series)
The only villain to not be adapted in any shape or form off books. The Crimson King is possibly the closest thing of being the devil in Stephen King's multiverse. This guy wants to conquer the dark tower. The Crimson King is responsible for some horrible acts. This being is insanely god like in what he can do. At one point Dark Tower hero Roland runs near by this being. The fact there is so little known about him makes him incredibly mysterious.

2. Pennywise (IT)
You all knew Pennywise had to be on this list. One of many characters to have several names. Pennywise is easily it's most famous name within our world. Originally created in a part of reality with no time among many other beings including it's natural enemy the turtle guardian. Pennywise has so many abilities even for a book villain. This creature can easily use your own fears against him in ways you can't imagine. Even right now it is debatable how much of this creature actually still alive. For possibly millions of years has killed countless humans. A creature so mysterious it rivals some of my top choices. What's even scarier about Pennywise is it's true form no normal living being could handle seeing it. A being that does come close to rivaling any guardians of the tower.

1. The Man in Black (Numerous books)
Probably the most obvious among all of my choices. Every Stephen King fan agrees The Man in Black has to be number 1. Just like Pennywise, he too has many names. His two most famous names are The Man in Black & Randall Flagg. This man is behind some of the absolute worst acts in many universes. No body has more direct blood on their hands than this guy. A being often said to be pure evil with plenty of evidence to support that. This guy will always be a thorn in everybody's side especially Roland's. He also appears in the most books out of all my choices combine. A villain this recognized by today's standards among books is a truly special thing. Honestly I really can't say enough about how legendary this guy actually is. This guy can go in between several universes making him even worse. There really isn't any limit on how low this guy actually willing to go.

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, It's time to take possibly one of the worst things you could possibly do for a horror movie. There exists a handful of terrible ideas you would be amazed even got released. In this particular case all movies featured share one of the absolute worst concepts in any horror movies. Over the years the horror genre has it's fair share of great & terrible movies.

No body could ever prepare themselves for horror icons in space. Yes you heard that right some movie companies actually attempted to make something like that & none of them works. This will be a quick comparison where I start with the most watchable to the single movie everyone should avoid. Just saying any of these are okay is a bit of an understatement. Not even the one I considered the best is worth any recommendations.

4. Jason X (2001)
Hands down Jason X was the best out of all four movies. Kane Hodder gives us an amazing performance as Jason. Some of the most brutal kills in Friday the 13th franchise's history. This kinda works just enough to be watchable for a few times. Obviously some of the actors come off cheesy while others weren't bad. Who could forget Uber Jason whose basically bulletproof and looks very menacing? This has the best scenes out of all the movies featured today. This was surprisingly a good mixture of Friday the 13th and space movies. It really shouldn't work but somehow it kinda does.

3. Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)
Mostly broken up in two major parts covering the origin of the box and the most recent in the time line. This is oddly the beginning and ending of Hellraiser in one movie. How the hell does that work guys? We seen all kind of aliens so why not demons in space? I am sorry but demons were meant to be in our world of the living back on Earth this is not Doom!!! I will say I do enjoy most of the death scenes. I felt simply changing a few things this could've worked a little better. We do get a good performance by Doug Bradley as Pinhead. Only because they focus on the box's origin it does hurt in categorizing this movie. Some newer demons aren't that great but I do like those twins. They're creepy as hell especially in a scene where they kill a guy in such a violent way.

2. Leprechaun 4: in Space (1996)
Now we're hitting at the bottom of the barrel. Possibly one of the absolute worst horror movie sequels I ever seen. The very concept of Leprechaun 4 started by a joke by the crew. They got so into it that they decided to make a space movie with Leprechaun. I could accept even demons to some degree in space. But a leprechaun going around terrorizing a space crew hell no. This does have some funny moments but they're all short lived. Leprechaun 4 is hilariously bad for it's time. Not even he coming out of a guy's private area is going to save this movie. I am wondering was Hollywood on some serious drugs when they made this crap.

1. Dracula 3000 (2004)
This is so bad that I honestly don't even want to talk about it. Unfortunately I have to for my blog's sakes. This is legendary for being one of the absolute worst horror movies ever made. Whose bright idea was it to have Count Dracula in space? They made Dracula too classic in every possible way not fitting this movie at all. Not even death scenes are worth talking about. At least Leprechaun 4 had some rememberable scenes. The pacing is hands down one of the worst I ever seen in a horror movie. This movie is amazingly boring with any real twists not working. I should mention it's horrible ending of everyone left alive dies by the sun. Two of them decides to have sex right before that happens. Oh come on movie that by itself further insults anything this movie stands for. Clearly they were attempting to cash in on Dracula. Considering there's so many Dracula movies or movies with him that it was unavoidable. Some of the worst acting you ever seen in a horror movie. I would in all honesty rather watch Troll 2 over this garbage any day.

Friday, April 14, 2017

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, today I will be doing another round of old vs. new versions of classic horror movies. Let's take things up a notch as I take on some very good horror movie classics. Today we are going the distance within paranormal movies. Basically it must have ghosts in these movies to be considered. As a kid ghosts wasn't much of a interest for me. More recently ghosts are really growing on me in the last few years.

Round 1: The Haunting (1963) vs. The Haunting (1999)
During the era of ghost theme horror movies. Many seem to forget about the classic The Haunting. This was one of the best of it's era hitting all the right notes. Of course there had to be a remake of it. Both do share many key elements but still different movies. This is always a great way to kick off any paranormal movie comparisons.

The best version of The Haunting is 1963 version
This was no content for so many great reasons. Simply because I don't want to go on for hours & waste everybody's time. Allow me to give it the fast way as I possibly can give it. The new version of the mansion isn't bad but I question some of it's interior designs. I felt everything about the original house was spot on. The audio in general of 1963 version nails it incredibly well. Not so much in 1999 version with some of the worst CGI of it's time. I like we never get to directly see the ghosts in 1963 version. Now compared that to the ghosts you do see in 1999 version not even big bad himself is scary. 1963 version does a great job keeping you on your toes about what's about to happen. You get bored very likely to lose interest in 1999 version. I felt the biggest reason why 1999 version sucks so bad was because of the cast. Not even Liam Neeson can save that movie. All of them felt miscasted & bring absolutely nothing to the movie. I do feel the original cast plays their characters perfectly. Both their endings are different but I still prefer 1963 version ending more. There was some mystery following Eleanor's death that left some fear in your hearts.

Winner: The Haunting (1963)

Round 2: House on Haunted Hill (1959) vs. House on Haunted Hill (1999)
William Castle was an huge inspiration for the horror movie industry. This guy went out of his way to add some changes around your movie theater. Thus does help make scare most of his fans by making them unexpectedly a part of it. Sadly no body does his methods of getting people scared anymore. Why am I talking about this you ask? One of his best movies with that concept in mind was House on Haunted Hill. A true horror movie classic that more people need to see. Obviously there had to be a remake more recently possibly forty years later. Oddly enough both versions are in the public domain. Despite sharing some key elements these are very different movies.

The best version of House on Haunted Hill is 1959 version
This was once again no contest for many reasons. It is debatable if 1959 version had ghosts in the first place. Even if it didn't this still gave off the same feeling you would get with them around. Every scene works incredibly well for it's time. Easily an great cast playing their characters perfectly. In comparison yes 1999 version does have ghosts. Most of them you get to see appear more like zombies or demons than actual ghosts. I felt 1999 version could've had a little better of a cast. Still way below how good the original 1959 cast was. The same major twists relating to their host & wife are in play. Personally I prefer how it plays out in 1959 version. To me it comes off like a mixture of a puppet & magic show of death. In vice versa their doctors dies very differently. Let's talk about the man that got everybody together. In the original movie he got all five people involved to this event for 10,000 dollars each for staying the night. In 1999 version ghosts changed the names to people their host wanted to invite. Someone who wasn't invited taking someone else's place for 1 million dollars each. Vincent Price was amazing late in 1959 version. I felt they wanted Gregory Rush to be the next Vincent Price. Seriously his character is too similar to his from 1959 version & doesn't work. They should've made him a very different person instead of directly copying one of many Price's characters. Rush is an amazing actor that even in bad movies he stands out. Some could argue this is indeed one of his worst movies. Although majority of both movies takes place locked inside a house. 1999 version actually more of a asylum than anything else. Yet even among terrible horrible movies I seen better looking asylums. Yes both these movies end very differently. Both endings for 1999 version ruins the entire movie with the cut ending being worse. I love how in 1959 version after their host confesses to what just happened then leaves the room. Watson starts freaking out about being next to die by ghosts. Oh wait it gets more interesting the very last thing he says is the ghosts are after us the viewers. Now how many horror movies would go that far to scaring people & actually worked. I do recommend 1959 version a lot more over it's remake any day.

Winner: House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Round 3: 13 Ghosts (1960) vs. Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
Did you think we were done talking about William Castle? Of course not he also made 13 Ghosts shortly after House on Haunted Hill. Another forgotten horror classic that I highly recommend to those into paranormal movies. They actually would give us glasses similar to 3D glasses. Often during the 1960 version it will tell you to put them on & take them off. In order to get a better look at the ghosts in the movie. Yes there's exist a remake that's more likely seen by many people than the original. Despite sharing some key elements these are incredibly different movies. I would even go as far to say this is more like it. The challenge here is guessing everything they have in common.

The best version of Thirteen Ghosts is 1960 version
I do like seeing the ghosts more in 2001 version. Also adding in more details relating to each ghosts is a nice touch. I felt a lot of things went wrong in 2001 version. 1960 version had a great cast nailing their characters perfectly. They could've had a better cast overall but I do kinda praise F. Murray Abraham's performance. His character stands out the most out of every one including the ghosts. The way they handle each ghosts did ruin the fear factor. In 1960 version they had no real way of protecting themselves from ghosts. I also like despite being classified as a ghost movie is more of a murder story. I really prefer the original house over that of 2001 version. Let's be honest I do feel like it could've work for a non horror movie. This house was more of a machine with glass areas having spells to limit ghosts to places. What really ruins the entire place is it constantly changing shape. Both guys that started their own take on 13 ghosts with different goals in mind. In 1960 version a scientist related to Arthur as his uncle got ghosts trapped inside this house including himself. All ghosts believes a thirteenth ghost will free them from this place. Trust me it will surprise you who actually becomes that ghosts. In 2001 version Arthur's uncle Cyrus trapped house inside this mysterious place. He plans to have his own nephew sacrifice himself for his children to become the thirteenth ghost. In doing so would open up insane possibilities beyond your wildest imagine. In this version the fourth ghost so happens to be Arthur's wife. I always felt some ghosts in 1960 version doesn't stand out much. Of course having a ghost lion loose in your house is terrifying. Ghosts aren't that bad in the original movie while they're mostly the opposite in 2001 version. The overall pace of 2001 version does hurt the movie. In 2001 version the ghosts after killing Cyrus becomes free. I love the huge surprise twist at the very end of 1960 version. No I'm not spoiling that otherwise I just ruined the best twist of the entire movie. As stated before yes 1960 version is more about a murder story with someone after Arthur's uncle money. Yet it comes off being better put together & way more scarier. Considering this is a William Castle movie just imagine being in any movie theater with this movie? Now that by itself is a great reason to go with 1960 version. I will say 2001 version is the best remake out of all those I'm doing in this blog entry.

Winner: 13 Ghosts (1960)

Round 4: The Fog (1980) vs. The Fog (2005)
John Carpenter did make some great horror movies after Halloween. Hell yeah The Fog was hands down one of those movies. It is a story about a century gone by with a near by town built on a lie. A mysterious fog filled with pirate ghosts is going around killing people. This concept was genius because who would ever expect the fog itself being dangerous. Yes there so happens to be a remake of this Carpenter classic more recently. Although this sadly isn't much of a comparison.

The best version of The Fog is 1980 version
This was way too easy 2005 version did little to nothing new. All they really did was add in their captain's lover was stuck inside a living woman. Which by itself kinda ruins the movie. Everything in terms of acting, audio and cast all of that was way better in 1980 version. Honestly 1980 version was way more terrifying compared to a somewhat watered down version of it. It just simply doesn't work at all folks. I would go on but I already said what needed to be said. Bottom line if you plan on giving us a proper remake of a horror classic. Please do what Thirteen Ghosts did by making it as different from the original as possible.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, today I will be doing another series of quick horror movie comparisons. There are more than enough classic horror movies that truly stand the test of time. Every horror movie fan has their own personal favorites. Of course as time goes on Hollywood puts out remakes of those classics. A good number of them aren't great with some being absolutely terrible. I decided to do what I'm calling the Boogeymen line up. This will make more sense as this blog goes on. I been wanting to cover some of these personally for a while.

Round 1: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) vs. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Possibly one of the scariest concepts to ever become an horror movie. The very thought of going to sleep to end up dead instead of waking up. This movie by Wes Craven called A Nightmare on Elm Street scared so many people. In fact more people recently watching it are just as scared as those 80s kids. A dead man constantly stalking teens in their dreams is already a scary concept. Of course I love one of Craven's finest movies. More recently there was a remake of the same name. Some clear changes really set off a lot of people including myself.

The best version of A Nightmare on Elm Street is 1984 version
Let's be honest this was mostly no contest. Out of all the remakes I'm doing today this one does one of the biggest mistakes imaginable. A Nightmare on Elm Street remake tried recreating a lot of classic scenes to end up ruining them. Don't get me wrong I actually like Jackie Earle Haley doing Freddy. Sadly that was the only good thing following all the bad stuff. Most characters come off incredibly boring. All the death scenes especially those copying what happened in the original movie sucks. In comparison every death scene was done just right in the original. Easily the better soundtrack that fits most of the scenes. Also Robert Englund not only nailed Freddy perfectly. He kept doing the character up til Freddy vs. Jason. Even in the worst of those movies his portrayal of the characters always stands out. Hell Englund got to be Freddy hosting Freddy Nightmares show too. I am sorry folks but I really didn't care for 2010 version at all. What really set me off was personal changes to Freddy's character. I would go into details about it but I prefer to just leave it alone.

Winner: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Round 2: Halloween (1978) vs. Halloween (2007)
Many consider John Carpenter's Halloween the beginning of the slasher genre. This was the movie to inspire many great horror movies including Friday the 13th. More recently the musician/director Rob Zombie remade Halloween. Despite some similarities these are surprisingly different movies. Regardless Halloween will always be remembered for not only kick starting the slasher genre. Possibly an candidate for one of the greatest holiday theme horror movies ever made.

The best version of Halloween is 1978 version
I like in 2007 version we get to see how Michael became the way he is. I also liked Brad Dourif best known as Child's Play' Chucky as Sheriff. I felt characters overall worked better in the original movie. I will give credit to the new Michael Myers for looking more menacing. Both do feature some great kills for their time. 1978 version had a more rememberable Dr. Loomis. I didn't care much for 2007 version of Dr. Loomis. I felt the original actor actually got us to believe he deeply cared for Michael. I didn't see that in 2007 version of the same character. I felt greatly editing down Michael's child hood would've help this movie out a lot. Easily one of the most annoying characters in all of Halloween franchise is kid Michael. On one hand you felt sorry for how his family treated him. On the other just the way how Michael eventually started killing. Very close before we start seeing that, we get some okay & unneeded parts. Such as him killing a bully from school in the woods. A rape scene while he was in his room within the hospital. Now was it so necessary to have that in your movie? Both have a good soundtrack but I prefer the original Halloween theme. I mean come on who the hell doesn't love that theme? It not only works but also puts chills down your spine. Yes I do prefer 2007 version mask but there is just something odd about the original mask. Obviously it was an altered Will Shatner mask but it seems to work better in the dark. Some scenes are present in both versions with clear changes. Majority of them are simply better in the original version.

Winner: Halloween (1978)

Round 3: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) vs. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
A real serial killer named Ed Gein inspired several movies. Such as Silence of the Lambs, Psycho and my favorite The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Back in theaters many people simply couldn't stomach it. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was seemingly so realistic for it's time. Possibly one of the scariest movies ever made. Now I'm excluding The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation from this comparison. The team wasn't sure to make it a sequel or remake. Therefore due to confusion in what it should be. I won't consider it at all but thankfully there actually is a real remake. More recently we get possibly one of the best horror movie remakes ever made.

The best version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is 2003 version
This will surprise a lot of people just let me explain. Yes both of these movies are great for their time. You could argue the beginning slow pace of 2003 version. However we ended up getting more brutal kills. An very great looking Leatherface that could scare a lot of people. Most of Leatherface's family doesn't stand out in both versions. I still want to credit one of my favorite characters in this franchise. Charlie Hewitt Jr. aka Sheriff Hoyt is amazing. This guy basically steals the show in every sense of the word. I also like we get to see more inside Leatherface's house in 2003 version. Let's be honest two amazing actors plays Leatherface very good. Personally I prefer slightly more Andrew Bryniarski's portrayal more. Close to half way through on both versions is where they get very good. In the end I love both of them with a passion as a long time horror movie fan. This is one of the rare cases I'm picking the remake.

Winner: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Round 4: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) vs. Friday the 13th (2009)
You all knew I had to do Friday the 13th. One of many classic horror movie series inspired by Carpenter's Halloween. It all started with the original Friday the 13th. Although Jason getting introduced in Friday the 13th Part 2 ends up getting massive attention. More recently there is a loose remake. Thankfully this movie has it's own story but took key elements from the first three movies. Technically speaking the new version is more of a remake of Part 2 than the original movie. Regardless I do recommend both of these movies.

The best Friday the 13th movie is Friday the 13th (2009)
This may upset a lot of Friday the 13th fans. I do enjoy watching Friday the 13th Part 2 a lot. Especially more than some of the movies. I couldn't over look how good Friday the 13th remake actually was. It is even rare for a remake to have a better cast than the original. I like this new Jason using his head like a pro hunter turned into serial murder. Yes guarantee this would make that Jason not faithful to the original movies. But considering Jason was in majority of them sucking bad with some exceptions. We kinda needed a new fresh take on the character. Very great death scenes that already some of the finest in the series. Both do have a good soundtrack but they quickly went right into doing Part 2. Just like Halloween 2 did many years later having the same exact problem. They wanted to cash in on Jason as soon as possible. Although this movie was far better than Halloween 2. Friday the 13th 2009 version took it's time for a reason. They knew people wanted Jason but felt it needed to be done justice. This is exactly why we got this remake in the first place. I am not saying Part 2 is terrible by any means. It does out do the original in many ways. The suspense was ultimately done better in the remake. For example a police officer comes to a cabin. Just when some people inside were about to open the door. Jason comes out of no where & kills the cop just as quickly. Now we need more of that within Friday the 13th movies. Huge points in giving Jason his famous hockey mask.

Winner: Friday the 13th (2009)

Round 5: Evil Dead (1981) vs. Evil Dead (2013)
Originally one of director Sam Raimi's first movies. He had to constantly get more money to make Evil Dead. This is still one of the creepiest movies I ever seen. After getting two movie sequels the franchise got put on hold for many years. More recently a remake got made taking a surprisingly different turn on the concept. I also recommend both of these movies especially if you don't get scare easily. Based on what I heard this particular original vs. remake topic is still heated today.

The best version of Evil Dead is 1981 version
This was very close for many reasons. I could argue back & forward between several things. I do prefer the cast of 2013 version. Remember this Ash of the original movie isn't the bad ass character we all know & love today. I felt most death scenes in the 1981 version were great for their time. Both do tell a good story sharing some things in common. The two key reasons why I prefer the original Evil Dead movie. First some of what you see later in the movie was real accidents kept in. The actors were all doing drugs according to Bruce Campbell himself. The big reason has to be the deadnites themselves. Yes I do like in 2013 version their eyes are bright red evil eyes. I felt 1981 version went the extra mile of terrifying us. The real deadnite eyes are those of dead people with no color. They appear more dead, disturbing and creepy all at the same time. Now yes I should mention both do share the famous tree rape scene. However in 2013 version with help from Mia's brother. She comes back to life free from being possessed by them. This particular moment in the original movie occurs in the second Evil Dead movie. Which continues the events of the first movie directly after it ended. Considering 2013 version didn't take much from that particular movie. I can't simply bring it in this comparison. I will say deadnites are way more convincing in 1981 version. I do like in both versions we get to see the cabin. Both movies has strange endings even among horror movies. Also keep in mind there isn't as much comedy as in later movies & Ash vs. Evil Dead. I felt Ash do stand out late in the 1981 version. There was much more suspense in the 1981 version too. Finally let's talk about the famous book of the dead itself. I do like 2013 version of it actually looks like real flesh bonded on it. I still do prefer the original design over it for many reasons. Well look at that creep face on the book. The pictures inside of it are very evil indeed. This particular design is so evil & twisted even by today's standards. I also like you have to burn the deadnites in 2013 version to free their souls. But not having that in the original book does make it even more terrifying in the long run.